Some of us with a limited scope of vision figured Mellow Bravo — who strive for the crown of America's ultimate bar band — only had three possible strategies for following up 2010's Strut. They could play it safe and make Strut again; push their haggard, bluesy sensibilities to the forefront; or punch up their flamboyant arena-metal intensity. Recognizing a false choice, Boston's Bravo went for more grit and more thunder, scaling the crag by fashioning their answer to Guns N' Roses' Use Your Illusion. Although the solo on "Senorita" conjures Slash's heroic signature on "Estranged," Mellow Bravo is perhaps not on par with GNR's masterpiece. But it beats the living shit out of Chinese Democracy and everything Velvet Revolver ever squatted out. Doubters must heed the gut punch of "Love Hammer," the honky-tonk lament of "Prairie Dog," and "Ridin'" — a track destined for a spot next to "Eye of the Tiger" on your iPod's workout playlist. Keith Pierce and company loosen the rock-and-roll belt a bit and explore more complex sounds on Mellow Bravo, their sophomore record, but they're still able to beat you senseless with that same belt when they absolutely must.

HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS | WELCOME OBLIVION | March 13, 2013 Whereas the monsters and ghosts of NIN songs can scream in your face and rip you to bits with their fangs, Welcome Oblivion tracks like techno-folk haunter "Ice Age" and the doom-pop jaunt "How Long?" make uncredited cameo appearances in your nightmares until you go insane and eat your own hands.

JOHNNY MARR | THE MESSENGER | February 25, 2013 Going solo is rarely a good decision. For every exception to the rule of who flourishes after unburdening themselves of the half-talents that have been holding them back — Justin Timberlake, for one — there are dozens of embarrassing Dee Dee Ramone rap albums that exist because Joey and Johnny Ramone weren't around to kibosh a terrible idea.

WHAT'S F'N NEXT? BUKE AND GASE | January 29, 2013 Almost every person I've told about Buke and Gase assumes that they'll hate this band, which isn't their fault.

BLEEDING RAINBOW | YEAH RIGHT | January 23, 2013 The only defect of the sort-of-but-not-really debut from Bleeding Rainbow (no longer called Reading Rainbow, possibly due to litigious ire festering under LeVar Burton's genial television persona) is that the Philly foursome merely hop off the launching point forged by Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, and a handful of others from the oft-exalted grunge era.